Apple products like the iPhone and iPad may soon be subject to a new "culture tax," as France ponders levying such a fee on technology giants in order to help preserve its cultural products.

Smartphones and tablets are at the center of new proposals from former Canal Plus CEO Pierre Lescure, whom France's socialist government tasked with finding new ways of funding French cultural projects in the face of an economic downturn, Reutersreported on Monday. Lescure, noting that consumers are spending more money on hardware than on content, proposed a one percent tax on the sale of Internet-compatible devices.

The new tax would target iPhones and iPads from Apple, but also Android tablets and Amazon's Kindle Fire devices.

Lescure's plan would likely yield roughly 86 million euros per year. That revenue would go to support cultural industries creating French music, images, and videos, according to the proposal. Television users, TV and radio broadcasters, and Internet service providers already pay a similar tax.

In France, cinema, music, and other creative sectors fall under the "cultural exception," which largely protects them from foreign competition. France lobbies heavily for the protection of its culture, with officials from the country expected to push for the exemption of its cultural products from free trade rules in forthcoming talks.

The proposal, expected to go before parliament in the fall, has drawn criticism for contributing to the perception of France as an anti-business nation. As the global economic downturn drags on, France has repeatedly targeted the pocketbooks of the wealthy in order to fund its government and protect social and cultural institutions.

French officials are torn as to the future of the proposal, which some believe oversteps the bounds of the state's role with regard to the private sector. France's Industry Minister recently blocked an attempt by Yahoo to buy a majority stake in the country's video clip site Dailymotion.

The French government previously clashed with Google in 2010 following the proposal of a one percent tax on all online advertising expenses. French officials also this year proposed a tax on the collection of personal data from users.

A very opportunistic proposal. If they go ahead I hope they also add 1% percent to all fast food and give the money to sports and leisure initiatives. And ditto on cars and gas to fund alternative transport initiatives.

... France has repeatedly targeted the pocketbooks of the wealthy in order to fund its government and protect social and cultural institutions.

...

The French government previously clashed with Google in 2010 following the proposal of a one percent tax on all online advertising expenses. French officials also this year proposed a tax on the collection of personal data from users.

I'd be for that, except for the fact that not only does it legitimize privacy violations, but it gives the state even more of an interest in allowing them to continue.

Unfortunately, this won't be a tax on the wealthy, just a tax on anyone who want to have a smartphone or tablet, most of whom aren't wealthy.

France as a whole country is a joke. Billionaires are leaving France because of their higher tax policy on rich.
They better go back to making that Junk Wheat bread and baguette to protect their culture. They look good in kitchen making junk lol

It's protectionism by another name. As I understand it, the EU doesn't allow that, nominally.

Not quite. As it would also apply to French products (yes, there are French products that do access the Internet), it is not protectionism. It is just another consumption tax (as many EU states already have them on e.g. tobacco, fuel, alcohol, yachts, coffee, energy etc.) and it is absolutely within the rights of each country to define those. If this is a good idea, is a valid question though.

Strange law. There is no protectionism involved as far a taxes on Apple and Android products are concerned, however. They are not taxing these products to give a leg up to French tablet makers.

Homogeneity is not a good thing, and I applaud France for having pride in their culture and wanting the French to be in charge of it, rather than moneyed interests. Whether they are going about it in the right way is the question, not their goal.

It is no wonder when there is a war on the French re always yelling retreat! Sooner or later France needs to realize if their culture can't stand on its own then they really don't have a culture worth a damn.

In the end you really can't find a good example of publiclly fianaced art. Such programs aren't culture but rather are welfare programs that generally go to support the unproductive and the useless.

France as a whole country is a joke. Billionaires are leaving France because of their higher tax policy on rich.
They better go back to making that Junk Wheat bread and baguette to protect their culture. They look good in kitchen making junk lol

Of course, if you're an American and not wholly ignorant of your own history, you should show a little gratitude, not to mention respect, to the French. Without their help, the outcome of that little skirmish often referred to here as the Revolutionary War might well have been entirely different.

I'd be for that, except for the fact that not only does it legitimize privacy violations, but it gives the state even more of an interest in allowing them to continue.

Unfortunately, this won't be a tax on the wealthy, just a tax on anyone who want to have a smartphone or tablet, most of whom aren't wealthy.

Most of the smartphone/ tablet owners are more wealthy than those don't own the same.

I wouldn't want it in my own country but I don't see the problem - if the French want to use tax this way that's up to the French. 1% isn't going to make a huge difference - VAT (sales tax) differs by much more than this across the EU anyway.

Of course, if you're an American and not wholly ignorant of your own history, you should show a little gratitude, not to mention respect, to the French. Without their help, the outcome of that little skirmish often referred to here as the Revolutionary War might well have been entirely different.

I'm pretty sure that has been repaid innumerable times over in both lives and gold during WWI, WWII, and the Marshal Plan and you can consistently see how ungrateful they are for the much more recent rescuing...

In the end you really can't find a good example of publiclly fianaced art. Such programs aren't culture but rather are welfare programs that generally go to support the unproductive and the useless.

That is complete nonsense. A lot of the best movies in history had (partial) government funding (I am not talking about Hollywood trash), a lot of the best theatres, orchestras and opera houses throughout Europe could not exist without subsidies, pretty much all art schools and universities outside the US are tax funded...

Not quite. As it would also apply to French products (yes, there are French products that do access the Internet), it is not protectionism. It is just another consumption tax (as many EU states already have them on e.g. tobacco, fuel, alcohol, yachts, coffee, energy etc.) and it is absolutely within the rights of each country to define those. If this is a good idea, is a valid question though.

Indeed. I mean, I agree with the intent because typically, when it comes to cultural products like film and music, it's the companies which can lock up the most marketing and distribution channels who end up controlling what gets produced and what doesn't (can't develop a market/following for your products if you can't get them in front of eyes or ears). However, I don't think that taxing products like iPhones and iPads to fund local culture is the answer. I prefer less invasive alternatives like designating that cultural product marketing channels in your country like radio, TV, online music stores, etc reserve a certain percentage for local culture.

You know, AI, I really expect more from you. This article (published anonymously) is the essence of FUD.

If the issue at hand pertains to all foreign devices of this type, then the headline is not:

Apple's iPads, iPhones could be subject to new French 'culture tax'

Grow the "F" up.

Um, the headline does not imply in any way that Apple products are the only ones being taxed. This is an Applecentric website and this could make Apple products more expensive in France. They've had way more bogus headlines on this site and on every other tech site...

I'm pretty sure that has been repaid innumerable times over in both lives and gold during WWI, WWII, and the Marshal Plan and you can consistently see how ungrateful they are for the much more recent rescuing...

That's sort of like saying you've repaid your debt to your mother for giving you life by taking her to McDonald's for Mother's Day, and you wish she'd stop complaining about the ketchup smears on the seats.

You know, AI, I really expect more from you. This article (published anonymously) is the essence of FUD.

If the issue at hand pertains to all foreign devices of this type, then the headline is not:

Apple's iPads, iPhones could be subject to new French 'culture tax'

Grow the "F" up.

Um, the headline does not imply in any way that Apple products are the only ones being taxed. This is an Applecentric website and this could make Apple products more expensive in France. They've had way more bogus headlines on this site and on every other tech site...

But the issue is not Applecentric. It would not potentially make Apple products more expensive, It would potentially make ALL of these products more expensive. THAT is the story here. The headline is a distortion by omission. Oh, you still need help?? OK. That's why the headline is FUD.

They're taxing the products to give a leg up to French content makers, since French cultural products cannot compete on a level playing field.

Except that it's not level when marketing and distribution channels are locked up by a small number of large companies who pay big money to keep it that way. I'm in no way saying that who gets government funding doesn't have similar problems, just pointing out one of the major problems with the so-called "free" market.